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The number of so-called mega-commutes -- in which employees travel more than 50 miles or 90 minutes each way -- is growing, according to census data. About 600,000 Americans face a commute that long, and more than 25% of them work in the Washington, D.C., area. Housing affordability is behind the long commutes for some employees.

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In looking in-depth at New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's New Housing Marketplace Program, the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development found that all affordable housing is counted equally, despite sometimes vast differences in the units. In addition, some "affordable" housing units are not actually affordable in the neighborhoods where they are located. In a new report, the organization breaks down how well the program matches needs in four areas: depth of affordability, length of affordability, location and household size.

Federal budget cuts that Congress allowed to take effect under the sequester will affect funding for housing vouchers, emergency shelters for the homeless, foreclosure prevention programs and aid to Hurricane Sandy victims. Local housing officials throughout the country are dealing with reduced funding.

An interactive map based on a new study allows users to see how average commuting times vary across the country. It takes the average U.S. worker more than 25 minutes to commute one way, and 8% of workers spend an hour or more getting to their jobs. Almost 600,000 people are classified as "mega-commuters," which means they travel at least 90 minutes and 50 miles to work.

The Federal Housing Administration says it will publish its own version of a rule issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that addresses a borrower's ability to repay a mortgage. The Dodd-Frank Act allows the FHA to devise its own qualified-mortgage rule. The agency says upcoming fee increases could disqualify FHA loans from the CFPB's definition.